Carrying the Love
by LadyScarlettO'Hara
Summary: I'm not sure how to describe it...


Disclaimer: It's not mine…

Carry the Love with You

"Severus, are you alright?" Annabelle asked her husband.

"He's calling. Go to Dumbledore, you know what to do."

"Of course." She bit her lip and leaned in to wrap her small arms around his strong frame, "Carry our love with you Severus."

He looked at her and quirked a brow, "our love?"

"Mine and our…"

"our what? Are you pregnant?"

She nodded and he looked so scared that she regretted telling him, but when their baby moved and she put his hand on her slightly distended abdomen, he smiled. "It's a girl Sev."

"A girl!" He exclaimed, but the mark burned again.

"Go, be careful and remember I love you!" She kissed him and rushed to Dumbledore's office through the floo.

You see, when they married four years before, Voldemort had not yet returned. Annabelle had just moved to Scotland from Texas to apprentice with Flitwick. After a whirl wind courtship of just a month, the two were wed and began living in Hogwarts in secret. No one knew that they were married. Dumbledore had been anxious, knowing that the Dark Lord would come back and wanting Annabelle to be safe. Children were in the after Voldies been defeated plan…

She arrived in Dumbledore's office and called out, "Daddy! I need you!"

He walked into the office and embraced his now crying daughter. "my dear, it will be alright. He knows how to stay safe."

"But there's so much more at stake now!"

"Really?"

"yes, I'm pregnant. And now my daughter's father is…is…" and she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I wish your mother was here to help you dear. But all I can say is to pray and leave your troubles with the Lord."

"Alright. I guess I'll just go lie down…"

"Alright dear, I love you."

"I love you to Dad."

She crawled into bed and prayed for the safety of her husband and her baby, as well as their success in the war. She begged God to make it all okay and to let her do his will. Then she fell asleep and dreamed of her past and her future.

_She was walking to her father's office, excited to see him after all the years. He had sent her to Texas with an aunt until the war was over, but when she came back to England the first time, she missed her horses and the freedom of America's wizards. She went back and stayed until she was nineteen. She returned and kept a mare on the grounds so she could keep riding. As she contemplated what to say to her father she crashed into something warm and firm. When she looked up she saw a tall, pale man with long black hair, pulled into a ponytail. He was rather handsome… "Sorry, I was thinking about something and not watching…"_

"_It's alright, I'm Professor Severus Snape, the potions master."_

"_Yes, you must be. I'm Annabelle Durden."_

"_I believe you mean-" he leaned in and whispered, "Dumbledore. It's in the eyes."_

"_They are a give away! I thought my hair was different enough to keep the attention off…"_

"_Well, have a good visit, Miss Durden."_

"_Actually, I'm staying this time."_

"_Then I will see you later."_

"_Alright. It was good to see you again Sevvy." He growled at the nickname she had given him all those years ago. She walked away feeling hopeful about their future._

_She was wearing a long white dress and walking towards him on her father's arm. The pastor was speaking, then they kissed. They danced and ate and danced and cut a cake, then they went to Hogwarts and disappeared for a few days._

_She was holding his hand and telling him how much she loved him, even though he had just "killed" her father, who wasn't really dead, just hiding in a secret room of Hogwarts. They had been forced apart for a few months, until Voldemort appointed Snape Headmaster of Hogwarts. She had been hiding in the secret room with her father, because no one knew about her marriage to Snape, while everyone knew she was related to Dumbledore. She had to run away…_

_They had waited two months before they began a dangerous series of secret rendezvous. The first night was filled with longing and savage hunger, and the contraceptive spell was forgotten. _

_Madam Pomfrey was telling her she was pregnant and that her baby was a girl. She was already two months along and would show by four months. _

"_How will I tell him?"_

"_I don't know, but do it soon deary."_

"_Yes mam."_

_His hand on her stomach and his smile… he was happy. He would be alright because she loved him and had done everything she could._

_He was on a horse, with a little raven haired girl in front of him, telling her about the ranch they lived on. She watched him with rapt attention until Annabelle came towards them._

"_Mama! Pony! Me ride pony wit daddy!"_

"_I see, that's so good Sweetheart!"_

"_Annalise, would you like some lemonade?"_

"_Yes daddy."_

_He dismounted and handed the horse to a hand. He wrapped an arm around her distended waist and asked, "where are Matthew and Mark?"_

"_In bed."_

"_Alright, well let's get you lovely ladies inside and prop up your feet." He could see his wife needed to rest._

_In the house he sat them down with cold glasses and massaged her feet. Annalise was falling asleep, so he took her to bed before asking his wife, "How are you love?"_

"_besides fat and ugly, exhausted and swollen."_

"_You are a beautiful woman who is giving me another daughter! I love you."_

_And he kissed her. Then she woke up._

She sat up and smiled. That was a good dream. Then the night before rushed back and she bolted into the office. "Dad! Where is he?"

"In the hospital wing…"

She ran as fast as she could and reached the wing in record time. She cast a glamour charm and walked up to Poppy. "Plum, where is he?"

Poppy recognized the code for 'I'm Annabelle and I need to see Severus." And directed Lisa to his bed in the private ward. Headmaster, it's Lisa, I brought you a tray."

He reached for her and removed the glamours after warding the door. "Annabelle, I missed you!"

She was checking him for injuries and frowning, so he laughed. "I'm fine, I just had to come down and let her check my leg, I thought it might have been twisted"

"is it okay?"

"its fine, I just need to put on my usual charms so no one notices the limp."

"Alright… " they relaxed for the rest of the day in his rooms and she told him about the dreams. Then they went back to the act and were distant.

A week. He has been in a coma for a week. They don't think he'll come back, even though I am heavily pregnant. Severus is fighting for his life, while I fight for his freedom and Harry celebrates his victory. I wish they would just pardon my husband and leave me alone, but no, Rita Skeeter is stalking me and my babies due any day. Fantastic!

"Annabelle!"

"What!"

"They pardoned him, look!" She took the notice from Dumbledore and read through it.

_Severus Snape is hereby pardoned of all crimes and awarded Order of Merlin First Class. Please contact the ministry for more information._

"Yes!" She walked down to the hospital wing, noticing a sharp pain in her lower back. By the time she reached the hospital wing she was in full labor and her water had broken. "Poppy! This baby is coming now!"

Poppy hurried her into a bed and transfigured her clothes.

The baby had crowned and she pushed one more time before hearing the baby cry. "She's a beautiful little girl. Poppy cleaned her up and laid her in a bassinet while Annabelle expelled the placenta and was cleaned up. Then she was holding her daughter and tears poured down her face. "She's so beautiful! My little Annalise…"

"I think you mean our little Annalise," said a very silky voice behind her.

"Severus!" He sat on the bed and peered at the tiny bundle of blankets. "Hold her Sev, she won't break."

He took her in his arms and crooned a lullaby in his deep baritone.

5 years later

"Annalise, Matthew, Mark, meet your little sister Annette."


End file.
